As exciting as an idea of Startup sounds, the journey of translating your ideas into realities is hard, challenging and needs a strong mental makeup. This is a workbook to discover your inner strength and the market strength of your idea before your embark on this rewarding journey.

1. BE F ORE YO U S TAR T
THE START-UP
WORKBOOK
100 Questions that you must answer
A Mimamsa Thought
BEFORE YOU START
THE START-UP
WORKBOOK
100 Questions that you
must answer
a mimamsa thought

2. A Mimamsa Thought
Raman Kalia
Domains
Innovation | Employer Brand | Brand Experience
Services
Consulting | Workshops | Strategy
rmnkalia@gmail.com
@rmnkalia
mimamsaconsult.com
Hi, nice to
meet you
Learning | Training | Ideating | Creating

3. A Mimamsa Thought
a mimamsa thought
START-UP
WORKBOOK
“The reasonable man adapts himself to the
world; the unreasonable one persists in
trying to adapt the world to himself.
Therefore all progress depends on the
unreasonable man.”
GEORGE BERNARD SHAW
Start-up name
My name
Start Date for this exercise
End Date for this exercise

4. A Mimamsa Thought
a mimamsa thought
CONTENTS
Money
Resources
You
People
Idea
SELF DISCOVERY
COMPATABILITY
VIABILITY
FUNDING
TALENT
INTELLECTUAL & Strategy
EMOTIONAL

5. NOTE
All Rights Reserved. No part of this presentation may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any other information storage and retrieval
system without prior permission in writing from Mimamsa Consulting.
A Mimamsa Thought
THIS IS A SPECIMEN OF THE DETAILED WORKBOOK.
WE HAVE TAKEN 25 RANDOMLY SELECTED QUESTIONS
TO GIVE YOU A FLAVOUR OF THE WORKBOOK. IF YOU
ARE INTERESTED IN THE COMPLETE e-WORKBOOK,
YOU CAN WRITE TO US AT THE MENTIONED E-MAIL
ADDRESS AT THE END OF THIS PRESENTATION

6. a mimamsa thought
1 WHAT IS YOUR REASON TO START THIS BUSINESS?
COPYRIGHT 2014 MIMAMSA CONSULTING. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. DO NOT COPY, DISTRIBUTE, OR SHARE WITHOUT PERMISSION.
YOU

7. a mimamsa thought
2 ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS IDEA? WHY?
COPYRIGHT 2014 MIMAMSA CONSULTING. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. DO NOT COPY, DISTRIBUTE, OR SHARE WITHOUT PERMISSION.
YOU

8. a mimamsa thought
3 CAN YOU SEE YOURSELF COMMITTED TO THIS IDEA FOR THE
REST OF YOUR LIFE?
COPYRIGHT 2014 MIMAMSA CONSULTING. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. DO NOT COPY, DISTRIBUTE, OR SHARE WITHOUT PERMISSION.
YOU

9. a mimamsa thought
4 DO YOU BELIEVE YOU WILL HAVE THE SAME PASSION FOR THE
IDEA 5 YEARS FROM NOW? 10 YEARS? 50 YEARS?
COPYRIGHT 2014 MIMAMSA CONSULTING. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. DO NOT COPY, DISTRIBUTE, OR SHARE WITHOUT PERMISSION.
YOU

10. a mimamsa thought
5
HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THE VARIOUS RESPONSIBILITIES
ATTACHED WITH STARTING A BUSINESS? HAVE YOU MADE A
MICRO LIST? ARE YOU SURE YOU CAN TAKE THIS BURDEN
RESPONSIBLY?
COPYRIGHT 2014 MIMAMSA CONSULTING. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. DO NOT COPY, DISTRIBUTE, OR SHARE WITHOUT PERMISSION.
YOU
T h i s wi l l i n c l u d e l e g a l
m a n d a t o r i e s , fi n a n c i a l
r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s , m o r a l
responsibilities, setting-up
office, bu y i n g fu r n i t u re,
managing it everyday. Your
employees and their families
will depend on you for their
livelihood, do you have it in you
to keep the trust?

11. a mimamsa thought
6 HOW IMPORTANT ARE YOU TO THIS START-UP? FOR ITS
LAUNCH AND FOR ITS SUCCESS?
COPYRIGHT 2014 MIMAMSA CONSULTING. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. DO NOT COPY, DISTRIBUTE, OR SHARE WITHOUT PERMISSION.
YOU

12. a mimamsa thought
7 WHO ARE YOUR CO-FOUNDERS? WHAT HAS BEEN THE REASON
FOR CREATING THIS TEAM?
COPYRIGHT 2014 MIMAMSA CONSULTING. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. DO NOT COPY, DISTRIBUTE, OR SHARE WITHOUT PERMISSION.
PEOPLE
Many a times start-ups end up
with a set of co-founders who
are fr iends, relat ives or
colleagues from previous jobs.
I t i s mo r e a te a m of
convenience or a team of
complimenting skills, attitudes
and business needs.

13. a mimamsa thought
8 WHAT ARE THE SKILLS THAT YOUR IDEA NEEDS?
COPYRIGHT 2014 MIMAMSA CONSULTING. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. DO NOT COPY, DISTRIBUTE, OR SHARE WITHOUT PERMISSION.
PEOPLE
These skills refer to the various
levels of expertise that are
linked to the idea. These can
be short term skills to long
term skills. The most important
aspect here is the difference
between hard skills and soft
skills.

14. a mimamsa thought
9 WHAT IS DEPTH OF EXPERTISE REQUIRED IN EACH SKILL? AND
HOW EXPENSIVE IS THE SKILL IF YOU HAVE TO HIRE IT?
COPYRIGHT 2014 MIMAMSA CONSULTING. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. DO NOT COPY, DISTRIBUTE, OR SHARE WITHOUT PERMISSION.
PEOPLE
Many start-ups despite talking
about long term commitment
end up taking very short term
decisions. These myopi c
decisions end up biting them in
the long term. It is very
important that you choose your
co-founders critically, basis
their expertise, cost, long term
business integrat ion and
commitment to the idea.

15. a mimamsa thought
10 WHAT PERCENTAGE OF SKILLS RESIDE WITH THE FOUNDERS
AND WHAT PERCENTAGE WOULD NEED TO BE OUTSOURCED?
COPYRIGHT 2014 MIMAMSA CONSULTING. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. DO NOT COPY, DISTRIBUTE, OR SHARE WITHOUT PERMISSION.
PEOPLE

16. a mimamsa thought
11 WHAT IS THE MOST CRITICAL SKILL TO START THE BUSINESS?
DOES ANY OF THE CO-FOUNDERS HAVE EXPERTISE IN IT? IF
NOT, HOW DO YOU PLAN TO BUILD IT AND CONTROL IT?
COPYRIGHT 2014 MIMAMSA CONSULTING. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. DO NOT COPY, DISTRIBUTE, OR SHARE WITHOUT PERMISSION.
PEOPLE

17. a mimamsa thought
11
WHAT IS THE MOST CRITICAL SKILL TO RUN THE BUSINESS ON
DAY-DAY BASIS? DOES ANY OF THE CO-FOUNDERS HAVE AN
EXPERTISE IN IT? IF NOT, HOW DO YOU PLAN TO BUILD IT AND
CONTROL IT?
COPYRIGHT 2014 MIMAMSA CONSULTING. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. DO NOT COPY, DISTRIBUTE, OR SHARE WITHOUT PERMISSION.
PEOPLE

18. a mimamsa thought
12
WHAT ARE YOUR INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL DEPENDENCIES
(OTHER THAN THE CUSTOMER) TO START THE BUSINESS? HOW
CONFIDENT ARE YOU ON THE EXTERNAL DEPENDENCIES
PARTICIPATION?
COPYRIGHT 2014 MIMAMSA CONSULTING. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. DO NOT COPY, DISTRIBUTE, OR SHARE WITHOUT PERMISSION.
PEOPLE
It will be useful to use the Porter
Five Forces Model to understand
the internal and ex ternal
challenges

19. a mimamsa thought
13 HOW DID YOU GET THIS IDEA?
COPYRIGHT 2014 MIMAMSA CONSULTING. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. DO NOT COPY, DISTRIBUTE, OR SHARE WITHOUT PERMISSION.
IDEA
Purpose of every business is to
influence the market for better.

20. a mimamsa thought
14 IS THIS IDEA UNIQUE? HOW DO YOU KNOW IT?
COPYRIGHT 2014 MIMAMSA CONSULTING. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. DO NOT COPY, DISTRIBUTE, OR SHARE WITHOUT PERMISSION.
IDEA
Is it a new idea? Rehashed
idea? Redesigned Idea?
Reworked idea? Global
first? Country First? Industry
first? Category first?

21. a mimamsa thought
15 WHY DO YOU THINK THE MARKET NEEDS THIS IDEA? WHAT IS
YOUR KEY INSIGHT? IS IT A PRODUCT INSIGHT OR A HUMAN
INSIGHT?
COPYRIGHT 2014 MIMAMSA CONSULTING. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. DO NOT COPY, DISTRIBUTE, OR SHARE WITHOUT PERMISSION.
IDEA

22. a mimamsa thought
16 WHERE, WHEN, HOW DID YOU GET THIS INSIGHT?
COPYRIGHT 2014 MIMAMSA CONSULTING. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. DO NOT COPY, DISTRIBUTE, OR SHARE WITHOUT PERMISSION.
IDEA

23. a mimamsa thought
17 HAVE YOU VALIDATED THIS INSIGHT? WHAT ARE THE MARKET
EXPERIMENTS THAT YOU HAVE CONDUCTED? WHAT ARE THE
LEARNINGS?
COPYRIGHT 2014 MIMAMSA CONSULTING. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. DO NOT COPY, DISTRIBUTE, OR SHARE WITHOUT PERMISSION.
IDEA

24. a mimamsa thought
18 WHO IS YOUR CUSTOMER? CAN YOU NAME 5 REAL PEOPLE
WHO WILL BUY YOUR PRODUCT? DESCRIBE THEM IN DETAIL?
COPYRIGHT 2014 MIMAMSA CONSULTING. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. DO NOT COPY, DISTRIBUTE, OR SHARE WITHOUT PERMISSION.
IDEA

25. a mimamsa thought
19 HAVE YOU ACTUALLY SPOKEN TO THESE PEOPLE? HAVE THEY
BOUGHT THE IDEA? HAVE YOU DONE AN ACTUAL MONETARY
TRANSACTION WITH ANYONE OF THEM?
COPYRIGHT 2014 MIMAMSA CONSULTING. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. DO NOT COPY, DISTRIBUTE, OR SHARE WITHOUT PERMISSION.
IDEA
The people you know are your
customers have not transacted,
then how do you plan to
convince the strangers? Never
start a start-up before making 5
transactions. Never believe ‘I
will” only trust the money in the
bank.

26. a mimamsa thought
20 HOW MANY CUSTOMERS HAVE YOU MET PERSONALLY?
COPYRIGHT 2014 MIMAMSA CONSULTING. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. DO NOT COPY, DISTRIBUTE, OR SHARE WITHOUT PERMISSION.
IDEA
Many entrepreneurs end up
outsourcing the market research
to external agencies. This is the
most important understanding
for any start-up. Knowing the
customer intimately. This cannot
be achieved by reading reports.
C u s t o m e r c a n o n l y b e
understood by talking to her, by
spending time with her in her
natural environment

27. a mimamsa thought
21
HOW MUCH TOTAL TIME HAVE YOU SPENT WITH THEM? DO
YOU HAVE ALL THE CONVERSATIONS RECORDED? HOW MANY
TIMES HAVE YOU HEARD THEM? DID IT IMPACT YOUR INITIAL
INSIGHT? HOW CRITICAL WAS THE CHANGE?
COPYRIGHT 2014 MIMAMSA CONSULTING. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. DO NOT COPY, DISTRIBUTE, OR SHARE WITHOUT PERMISSION.
IDEA

28. a mimamsa thought
22 HAVE YOU TESTED YOUR IDEA? HAVE YOU GOT CASH IN YOUR
HAND EVEN FROM ONE CUSTOMER?
COPYRIGHT 2014 MIMAMSA CONSULTING. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. DO NOT COPY, DISTRIBUTE, OR SHARE WITHOUT PERMISSION.
IDEA

29. a mimamsa thought
23 CAN YOU WRITE YOUR IDEA IN LESS THAN 100 WORDS? CAN
YOU EXPLAIN IT IN UNDER 1 MINUTE?
COPYRIGHT 2014 MIMAMSA CONSULTING. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. DO NOT COPY, DISTRIBUTE, OR SHARE WITHOUT PERMISSION.
IDEA
Executions can be complex,
ideas articulations are always
simple. Specially the ones which
come from deep human insights.
Find out if yours is one of them.
If you can’t do it, that means it
s t i l l n e e d s s o m e m o r e
refinement.

30. a mimamsa thought
24 HOW MANY MONTHS CAN YOU SURVIVE PERSONALLY WITHOUT
ANY CASH-FLOW?
COPYRIGHT 2014 MIMAMSA CONSULTING. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. DO NOT COPY, DISTRIBUTE, OR SHARE WITHOUT PERMISSION.
MONEY
Not just your idea even you need
money to survive. This is the
most critical peg for the
success of your effort. Do not
get into a start-up phase if your
short term financials are not in
place.
Write down all your personal in-flows
and out-flows, discover
how long or short is your rope.

31. a mimamsa thought
25 DO YOU HAVE AN ALTERNATE SOURCE OF INCOME?
COPYRIGHT 2014 MIMAMSA CONSULTING. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. DO NOT COPY, DISTRIBUTE, OR SHARE WITHOUT PERMISSION.
MONEY
Sometimes an alternate source
of income gives you a mental
comfort to chase your dream
harder and longer.

32. All Rights Reserved. No part of this presentation may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any other information storage and retrieval
system without prior permission in writing from Mimamsa Consulting.
A Mimamsa Thought
We partner start-ups in their
DISCOVERY JOURNEY through
our innovative MARKET
EXPERIMENTATION process to
DEFINE and REFINE their world
changing IDEAS.

33. All Rights Reserved. No part of this presentation may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any other information storage and retrieval
system without prior permission in writing from Mimamsa Consulting.
A Mimamsa Thought
If you would like to have our
BEFORE YOU START
THE START-UP
WORKBOOK
or engage our services,
please contact us at:
raman@mimamsaconsult.com ///
rmnkalia@gmail.com

34. AN INDEPENDENT INNOVATION FIRM
All Rights Reserved. No part of this presentation may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any other information storage and retrieval
system without prior permission in writing from Mimamsa Consulting.
A Mimamsa Thought
WHO WE ARE ///
We are an independent idea consultancy specialising in Designing Innovation Ecosystems, Brand Experiences, and Brand
Engagements with employees and customers. We partner with organisations in their effort to bring commonality in their
internal brand and external brand (communication delivery and service delivery) to build a branded experience and innovative
thinking across all touch points.
Through our Mimamsa Creative-Conversations Model, Mimamsa Internal Brand Consistency Model and Mimamsa Experience
Model we audit, evaluate and design a branded ecosystem that enable organisations to converse with clarity and connect with
consistency with all stakeholders - current and future.
We practice an integrated process of research, development and crafting to build a collaborative framework pertinent to a
defined environment and ecosystem to grow people, brands, businesses and profits.
tÉ=ÅçJÅêÉ~íÉI=ÅçJÉîçäîÉ=~åÇ=
ÅçJÅê~Ñí= ~ëëÉíë= íÜ~í= Éå~ÄäÉ=
çêÖ~åáë~íáçåë= íç= = ÅçåîÉêëÉ=
ïáíÜ= Åä~êáíó= ~åÇ= ÅçååÉÅí=
ïáíÜ=ÅçåëáëíÉåÅó=ïáíÜ=ÉîÉêó=
ëí~âÉ=ÜçäÇÉêK

35. All Rights Reserved. No part of this presentation may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any other information storage and retrieval
system without prior permission in writing from Mimamsa Consulting.
A Mimamsa Thought
WHAT WE DO/// WE CREATE ROBUST BRAND ECOSYSTEMS
BRAND EXPERIENCE BRAND BEHAVIOURS BRAND INNOVATION
Innovation is the new word for success. The discipline of
innovation is emerging today because innovation is
needed to drive market growth, but despite its
pervasiveness and demand, innovation is an elusive
concept. Innovation is a complex, multi-disciplinary
activity that involves all the functions of an organisation,
in-addition to its clients, suppliers, and its customers. We
collaborate with organisations in their effort to answer the
question- How should companies seeking to increase their
innovative capacity make decisions regarding innovation-directed
structures?=
In a world of commoditisation, organisations are realising
their key asset today are their employees. It is not the
products or services that make the difference but employee
behaviour, actions and beliefs. Despite this, employee
engagement is at its lowest. The journey of market success
and brand differentiation is a journey of employee
participation. Employee today is not just the first customer,
he is also the first promoter and the first creator. Our
engagement model brings the aspiration of organisations
and employees on a common platform to energise internal
culture with creativity and inspiration.
Brands today need to reinvent themselves and work towards
creating memorable experiences for a relevant audience. The
customer segments can no longer be identified just on the
basis of traditional demographic or functional dimensions.
Organisations today need to segment basis experience
expectations. Brands must own experiences and build
differentiations in the market place basis these unique
experience promises. We help brands identify symbols and
meaning by strategising around all “The five senses” to create
differentiated experience promise

36. A Mimamsa Thought
thought collaborators
Raman Kalia
Managing Partner
Mobile: +91 9742223518
e-mail: rmnkalia@gmail.com
skype: rmnkalia
blog: mimamsaconsult.com
mimamsa
@ Copyright 2014, Mimamsa Consulting, Bangalore
All Rights Reserved. No part of this presentation may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including
photocopy, recording or any other information storage and retrieval system without prior permission in writing from Mimamsa Consulting.
All images for this presentation have been courtesy www.freepik.com